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Battle of Bouzegza
| combatant2 = ALN | commander1 = Jacques Massu Jacques Allard"Violent combat au sud d'Alger", Le Monde,‎ August 6, 1957 (read online [archive)] | commander2 = Commander Azzedine | units1 = | units2 = | strength1 = | strength2 = | casualties1 = About 30 Killed (4 August) 10 Killed (12 August) | casualties2 = 1 Wounded | campaignbox = }} The Battle of Bouzegza took place during the Algerian War in the Berber-speaking region of the Adrar Azegzaw massif (Djebel Bouzegza, which means "Bouzegza Mountain"), at the far eastern end of the Mitidja Plain. On August 4, 8 and 12, 1957, Ali Khodja of the National Liberation Army (ALN), reinforced with local units, faced French Army units commanded by several generals, including Jacques MassuYves Courrière, La guerre d'Algérie, p. 424 Before 4 August 1957 According to the French, the battle followed an ambush near Médéa in late July 1957 against a section of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, in which 14 men were killed and 8 wounded.a et b Patrick de Gmeline, Nouvelle histoire de la Légion étrangère, Perrin, 2016, 652 p. (read online [archive)] According to the Algerians, a medic from the local unit in Palestro commanded by Si Boualem, captured in a guerrilla action, told the French his unit was in Bouzegza. He knew it was not but did not know of the presence in this place of Ali Khodja.Boukhalfa Amazit, "Le commandant Azzedine raconte la bataille de Bouzegza", El Watan,‎ August 20, 2009 (read online archive) The battle August 4 In spite of its numbers and considerable resources, the French army suffered a heavy defeat on the 4th of August. The 2nd squadron of the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons, confounding Ali Khodja with French soldiers, lost many men. Major Azzedine said an article in the daily Le Monde, published the day after the incident, reported French casualties in the order of 600 dead, wounded and disappeared, and the fighters of the Wilaya IV deplorable only a few wounded.Boukhalfa Amazit, "Le commandant Azzedine raconte la bataille de Bouzegza", El Watan,‎ August 20, 2009 (read online [archive)] The article in Le Monde in question, citing the French military authorities,« Vingt et un militaires tués et dix-huit blessés Seize morts chez les rebelles », Le Monde,‎ 6 août 1957 (read online [archive)] mentions in fact 21 killed and 18 French wounded. According to the history of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment (France), the losses are 29 killed, 12 wounded and 2 missing.Lt Col (H) Aïcardi, « Fiche Algérie 1954-1964 du 2e dragons » [archive, 22 août 2010 (consulté le 21 juillet 2017)] According to the FLN, the commando suffered only one wounded, the rebels killed by the French army being moussebiline premises and civilians. New French closure in August 12 Ali Khodja was joined by other units. The NLP soldiers were severely attacked on the 12th by the paratroopersa, b, c, d, e, f et g Boukhalfa Amazit, « Le commandant Azzedine raconte la bataille de Bouzegza », El Watan,‎ 20 août 2009 (read online [archive)] of the 2nd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 4,a et b Patrick de Gmeline, Nouvelle histoire de la Légion étrangère, Perrin, 2016, 652 p. (read online [archive)] the French recovering on this occasion some of the weapons captured by the rebels.a et b « Huit cents rebelles ont été mis hors de combat depuis le 5 août », Le Monde,‎ 13 août 1957 (read online [archive)] According to Commander Azzedine, some ferkas under the orders of Si Boualem are practically decimated, while the commando loses a dozen killed. Thanks to his information networks and his knowledge of the terrain, the commando Ali Khodja manages to disengage and retreat with the least damage possible (according to Commander Azzedine: a few killed and a dozen wounded).a, b, c, d, e, f et g Boukhalfa Amazit, « Le commandant Azzedine raconte la bataille de Bouzegza », El Watan,‎ 20 août 2009 (read online [archive)] Bibliography * Yves Courrière, La guerre d'Algérie, Fayard, 2001 ( ). * Benjamin Stora and Renaud de Rochebrune, La guerre d'Algérie vue par les Algériens (Volume 2) - De la bataille d'Alger à l'indépendance, Editions Denoël, October 13, 2016 ( , read online archive) External links * Article in Le Monde on the battle: "Un ancien officier d'Algérie commente la bataille du Bou-Zegza", Le Monde,‎ August 10, 1957 (read online [archive)] See also * Algerian War * French Algeria References Category:Conflicts in 1957 Category:Algerian War Bouzegza 1957 Bouzegza 1957 Bouzegza 1957 Category:Guerrilla wars Category:History of Algeria Category:Urban warfare Category:1957 in France Category:1957 in Algeria Category:20th century in Algeria